Christie spars with hecklers in N.J.
The Republican governor, who has generally met with friendly audiences at town hall meetings since a transportation scandal rocked his administration earlier this year, offered several exhortations as protesters interrupted others’ questions on education and budget issues in Mount Laurel, N.J. .
“They don’t want to hear from me,” he said. “What they want is attention. They want partisan attention from a media that’s hungry to give it to them. . . . Reporters will go out and follow them when they’re pulled. It’s still going to be about answering people’s questions, not when they shout and scream,” but when they raise their hands.At least one heckler referred to “Bridgegate,” according to reports from those in the room.
The scandal, in which several aides tied to the Christie administration allegedly blocked lanes of the busy George Washington Bridge, has sparked several investigations and dominated the conversation about Christie for much of this year. Until Bridgegate, Christie was considered a front-runner for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination, but the incident hurt his poll numbers.Disarray aside, he found a largely receptive audience, with one member encouragingly asking about the presidential election. Christie spoke about the importance of leadership and the ability to work on both sides of the aisle — something he often cites as one of his accomplishments as governor of a blue state.
According to local reports, many participants shouted at the protesters, at least six of whom were removed from the scene. One of the young villains charged that Christie should bear responsibility “for Bridgegate, for not directing Hurricane Sandy money where it should have been, and for systematically denying Sandy aid to African-Americans and Latinos,” according to the PolitickerNJ.
“If I challenge people and they want to yell at me, you have to yell at me,” Christie said. “But don’t take it from everyone else for your own partisan purposes. It’s just not about that.” The governor, known for his prowess in New Jersey and his willingness to fight opponents, has generally kept his cool despite the turmoil. But at the beginning of the event, he showed disappointment.
“Either sit down and shut up or get out of here,” he told the first protester. “We’re done with you.” He later said that while he personally didn’t mind the confrontation (“I grew up in a household with an Irish father and a Sicilian mother. I was brought up in conflict.”), he worried about those who tried to silence material issues. .
